Denon HEOS Speakers

Denon HEOS Speakers

Basic Information
Release Year
Product Type	Audio Device
In Production	Yes
Official Website

Denon HEOS / Home Speakers are "wireless speakers offer high-fidelity sound and seamless integration with home systems, providing an immersive audio experience."

They integrate with multiple streaming services, and can also play local content such as aux in, Bluetooth and local Airplay. They can be controlled locally over a home network.

Consumer impact summary

Denon Home speakers can be controlled using the HEOS app. This allows control of speakers, and initially was designed to work fully locally with an optional sign-in to a HEOS account.

HEOS have since removed the ability to use the app without sign-in. This is documented on their HEOS FAQs page:

With the HEOS account you just have to enter your music services login names and passwords one time. This allows you to easily and quickly use multiple controller apps on different devices. You just log into your HEOS account on any device and you will have access to all of your associated music services, play history and custom playlists, even if you are at a friend’s house listening to music on their HEOS system.

This does not however answer the question of why you would need to use a HEOS account, it only covers why some may choose to use one for additional functionality. There is no technical reason why the local functionality of the speakers can't still be used without an account as before. This raises privacy concerns as this forces many users who would be happy to use the app locally without an account, to sign up and sign in to the app, allowing Denon to collect data about users' listening habits.

This issue has been discussed in a reddit thread.